A liquid crystal display (LCD) panel has a structure in which a liquid crystal layer is sandwiched between a pair of substrates. An image is displayed on the LCD panel when the polarization of light passing through the liquid crystal layer is changed by an alignment change of liquid crystal molecules which is caused by application of a voltage to the liquid crystal layer through electrodes provided on the substrates.
Specific examples of display modes of LCD panels include TN (Twisted Nematic) mode and VA (Vertical Alignment) mode. In TN mode, electrodes are formed on upper and lower substrates. Liquid crystals with a positive dielectric anisotropy are sandwiched between the two substrates in such a manner that the liquid crystals are twisted by 90° between the substrates. Then, the alignment of liquid crystals is switched by an electric field in the longitudinal direction which is vertical to the substrates. In VA mode, liquid crystals with a negative dielectric anisotropy are sandwiched between upper and lower substrates. When an electric field is not applied, liquid crystal molecules are arranged in the vertical direction by a vertical alignment film or the like. The liquid crystal molecules are tilted toward the horizontal direction when the electric field is applied (see Patent Literature 1, for example).
Also, as an applied technology of VA mode, MVA (Multi-domain Vertical Alignment) mode has been developed in which one pixel is divided into plural regions by alignment control protrusions so that the pixel serves as a multi-domain pixel. In MVA mode, liquid crystal molecules in one pixel are controlled to have different inclining directions, which enables uniform gradation display in all directions. Accordingly, contrast, viewing angle characteristic, and response time are excellently exhibited.
Examples of forming methods of the alignment control protrusions include a method in which a photosensitive resin composition absorbing light in photosensitive wavelength region is applied on a color filter, and the photosensitive resin composition is exposed to light through a photomask and then developed for patterning (see Patent Literatures 2 and 3, for example).